That Intriguing Stranger
by MistyWing
Summary: ... At the other end of the Bar. Sorry, no alcohol. Just soda, faces, names, and - oh yeah - on the side, Sakura-chan x Syaoran-kun.


Ah! You know how it feels when you get this great idea after studying for twelve hours and coming out totally refreshed, desperately needing some down time. FREEDOM! Now, step out of your crazy bubble and pretend you're 21 and you're at the bar with your best friend. You look down the other end of the bar and you see this cute guy. He's got his eye on you, too. Then, wham! He says and does some things that are so outrageous you just want to sock it to him. What can he say or do to get you so angry? Well, you have to read to find that out. Here's my shortest one shot yet!

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: OLD NEWS, I DON"T OWN THE CHARACTERS

_**That Intriguing Stranger at the other End of the Bar**_

**By MistyWing**

**Rated G**

_Twenty-one was a beauteous, glorious, and breathtaking age in which one could step out of her baby shoes and slip into shoes that matched the era of clubbing, bar hopping, and gambling. Goodbye to sprite, hello absinth. Will someone add some rum to my coke? No cheese just the wine. Forget wine! Bring on the hard liquor! I want to go to a bar. I want someone to-- _

I was alone, sitting in my bar stool before my best friend, Tomoyo-chan, slid into the stool beside me and nudged me hard. My drink was going to fly out of my hand if I hadn't been reflexively fast with my agile fingers to rescue it from cataclysm. Shattered glass and sticky stuff on my shoes would have equaled disaster.

I glared at her. "What?!"

She didn't glance at me, but instead, nestled her cheek against mine. Her eyes were lingering on the fellow at the far end of the bar.

"That hottie over there has been leering at you all night. Why don't you stop ignoring him?"

I tugged at the hem of my short pink dress and groaned.

"Want me to call him over?"

If I glared any harder, I swear, those wrinkles that creased my forehead were going to be permanent.

Oblivious to the way I was looking at her, Tomoyo-chan pointed to the drink in my hand. "Did he get that for you?"

I pouted.

"What's in it?" She asked. I swear she just wanted to rub it in my face. No, scratch that. She wanted to take my drink, taste it, and laugh in my face. The heck I was going to let her.

Tomoyo-chan noticed I was moody, so she backed off a bit. She started talking to herself aloud. "I think I've seen him around in school. He has nice, warm eyes."

Sakura swiveled around and looked at another man, who was by the jukebox. She pointedly told Tomoyo-chan, "I like him better. He's kinda scruffy looking and he's been trying to steal glances at me."

"He doesn't look too bright, though…" Just as she spoke, the guy was dangling a book in the air and inspecting it with curiosity. His eyes lit up as a thought came to him. He wildly tore the pages out and started using the scraps as towels to wipe down the jukebox.

Tomoyo-chan snorted.

I settled my chin to the back of my hand. "He's like a puppy."

Tomoyo-chan made a disapproving noise and took my head in her two hands and forced my head to turn, so that I was looking at the guy who got me the drink.

I stared at him for a minute until he did the most childish thing you can imagine. Yes, he stuck his tongue out at me!

"Ugh, I'm going to the Lady's Room," I said.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo-chan whined.

I went in and when I came out, guess who was waiting for me outside? Yes, him.

"Hey, Baby Face, having a good time?" He asked.

I attempted to walk around him, but he sidestepped and blocked my way. I moved to my right and there he was again! My left—Brainless moron. My right—Friggin' eclipse. My left—Cocky butthead. My right—He just didn't get that I wasn't interested.

"I'm Li Syaoran. What's your name Honey Bunny?"

I grimaced. He noticed. "What?"

I responded by pulling at the skin under my eye with my index finger and sticking my tongue out at him. Ha, revenge!

The nerve of him, he laughed!

Just when I thought I had my chance to get away again, he stepped in front of me and backed me into a wall. I couldn't see Tomoyo-chan anymore because we were in a little corridor, now just me and him.

"What a cutie," he murmured leaning towards me.

I looked up at him, meeting his amber eyes. I was thinking of incinerating him with my eyes, but the moment our gazes locked I couldn't release the flame throwing gaze I had prepared for him. He smiled at me.

"A real cutie, Sa-ku-ra-chan," he said under his breath.

"You knew my name all along!"

"Same school, same class…" he explained as his face came closer and closer to mine.

"Syaoran-kun should be studying for the MCAT, so he can get into med school!" I cried.

His head fell on my shoulder and he groaned. "I can't believe you just said that right now."

"You should be studying," I repeated. "What are you doing at a bar?"

"Why have you been ignoring me?" He countered, bringing his head up to look at me again.

"The chain of events!" I exclaimed. That explained everything!

He looked confused for someone who's a pre-med student and who's supposed to pick things up pretty quickly.

"The big turn off, really, was the coke! I'm twenty-one tonight and what do you get me?!"

"You wouldn't even like alcohol, believe me."

"Then, you made faces at me."

"Hey, you started it."

I pushed him aside and got back to the bar. I took Tomoyo-chan's hand and dragged her out. Literally! That girl dug her heels into the tiles, concrete, and then grass for meters. I finally glanced back after Tomoyo-chan had protested for the millionth time, and I saw Syaoran-kun looking like a lost puppy as he trailed us.

"And lastly," I called over my shoulder, "you called me all the names my dad used when I was six!"

_--treat me my age. Or else._


End file.
